Benjamin Dimmitt is a native Floridian who has been living in New York City for over 30 years. The Florida of his youth had abundant undeveloped areas and animated wild places that he took for granted and that are now gone. The remaining primitive places have been put at risk by unwise land use policies, nearly unfettered development and environmental degradation. Several years ago, he began photographing the wetlands, palm hammocks and low-lying forests of Florida in a process of exploring, reacquainting himself and finally interpreting the unique and fragile beauty there.

At dawn and dusk, Debi Milligan observes the conversation between light and form – the way everything is transformed through the light; now here, then suddenly gone forever.  She waits, watches, and works to claim a specific moment.  Day into night, night into day, the minute movements of the light and air.

Keiko Sono’s video installation 110 Days of Winter follows the formation and evolution of an ice layer on a Catskill boulder from December to April, condensing the five-month-long process into a 40-minute loop. Beginning and ending with a bare rock wall the slow change is barely perceptible at first, yet once the eye is settled, the morphing of ice and shift in light manifest from within.

At Davis Orton Gallery, 114 Warren Street.

Since its premiere in 2006, the piece has received more than thirty performances, including Vanderbilt College, Chamber Music Toledo, Colorado College, Lehigh University, and many performances in the New York and Denver metropolitan areas, all with Kate as narrator. At the First Presbyterian Church, Hudson. Visit claveracklanding.org for more information.

From Celestial by Stephen DiRado (Hale-Bopp, Martha’s Vineyard, 1997)

While many of of Stephen DiRado’s projects are decades-long pursuits represented by thousands of sheets of exposed 8×10 black and white film, other subjects, such as “Celestial” are, by their nature, occasional. At 4:10 a.m. on March 24, 1996 on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Edgartown, DiRado produced his first photograph of a comet, Comet Hyakutake, using a small camera on a tripod, fast film (and warm clothes.) “The heavens organized itself in a remarkable way and with that first exposure, I instantly had “Comet Fever.” DiRado continued to photograph Comet Hyakutake for a several weeks. When he learned that less than year later, Hale-Bopp, “the comet of millennium” would arrive, “I realized this was a wake up call to be prepared and I was already an astrophotographer in training. I already knew how to do it.”

White Barn by Bob Avakian

Emerging artist Bob Avakian and his wife visited Martha’s Vineyard for the summer in 1973 and it has been home ever since. Trained in architecture, engineering and building, for years he worked in the construction field as a custom homebuilder. After finding himself in management, removed from the satisfactions of hands-on involvement, he turned to photography as a means of self expression. As his photographic vision has evolved, he has been drawn to the natural landscape and an exploration of night photography.

At Davis-Orton Gallery, 114 Warren Street, Hudson

Caprese Invernale A winter version of the Caprese salad: roasted plum tomatoes and our own barely-melted fresh mozzarella, drizzled with our own basil pesto, 10

Polpettini di Granchio Panko-coated crab cakes, served with our own wasabi aioli, 11

Gamberi Freschi Jumbo shrimp with house-made cocktail sauce, 9

Piatto di Formaggi A selection of imported Italian cheeses served with wild boar salami, fresh pear, sweet fig compote, and garlic toasts, 12

Primi

Ravioli d’Aragosta Jumbo lobster ravioli served in a Marsala-tomato cream sauce, 26

Secondi

Anatra al Bergamotto Grilled boneless breast of duck in a bergamot-scented orange sauce, served with a warm farro grain cranberry salad, 26

Dolci

Cannoli Siciliani Traditional cannoli stuffed with house-made ricotta, candied orange peel, dried cranberry, and pistachios, 8

By the Glass

Cabernet Franc blend Fleur de Lyeth (California) 2011 A sopistictated blend of Bordeaux varietals resulting in a balanced palate of berry and plum accented with subtle red fruit notes, 8

Kir Blanc A refreshing combination of St. Germain elderflower liqueur and prosecco, topped with a fresh strawberry, 10

Lampone Pronounced lam pon’ ay (raspberry) a sparkling mix of Chambord liqueur and prosecco, 10

Ingredients

For the meat sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons of chopped onion (we use red3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of chopped celery
• 2 Tablespoons of chopped carrot
• ¾ pound of ground wild boar shoulder (or lean ground beef chuck)
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• ½ cup of milk
• 2 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon of clove
• 2 cups of canned Italian San Marzano tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the homemade pasta:

• 2 eggs
• 1½ cups of all-purpose flour

or 4-5 large fresh egg-pasta sheets, often available in the grocery deli section. If you cannot find fresh, “no-boil” egg pasta (Barilla is an excellent brand) is far better than dried macaroni pasta sheets.

For the béchamel:

• 3 cups of milk
• 6 Tablespoons of butter
• 4½ Tablespoons of flour
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

To Finish:

• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano or other high-quality Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons of  butter

Make the meat sauce: In a large heavy pot, sauté chopped onion in oil and butter briefly over medium heat until just translucent. Add celery and carrot and cook gently for 2 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

Add the ground meat, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks, just until the meat has lost its rawness. Add the wine; turn the heat up to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the wine has evaporated.

Turn the heat down to medium; add the milk, cocoa and spices, and cook, stirring frequently, until the milk has evaporated.

Add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly. When the tomatoes have started to bubble, turn the heat down until the sauce cooks at a bare simmer. Cook, uncovered, for a minimum of 3½ to 4 hours, stirring occasionally and adding enough liquid to prevent it from drying out before done. Salt and pepper to taste.

Make the pasta according to your favorite method.

Prepare the béchamel: In a small heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. When the butter has melted completely, add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the full surface of the pan bottom and sides regularly. Cook for two minutes, without allowing the mixture to brown, until it begins to adhere to itself and pull cleanly away from the pan.

Turn up the heat and add all the milk at once, and immediately begin whisking vigorously. The mixture will thicken as it heats. When the milk is fully incorporated and there are no lumps, you can turn down the heat, while continuing to stir constantly.

When done, the béchamel should be the consistency of sour cream. (Note: This requires a bit of practice, so if you find some lumps, don’t despair: Just pour the béchamel into a food processor or blender while still hot and process until smooth.)

Fill a large bowl with ice water and keep handy by the stove, and lay down clean, dry towels where you’ll keep the cooked pasta. (You can skip these steps and the following for no-boil pasta.)

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, and cook the fresh pasta sheets in batches small enough so they don’t touch one another in the water. Do not overcook! Fresh pasta needs only 10-20 seconds of cooking once the pot returns to a boil. Fish each sheet out individually and drop in the ice bath to stop cooking. Lay out in a single layer on the towels.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Assemble the lasagna:

Reserve about ½ cup of béchamel, and fold the remainder into the meat sauce until well incorporated. If using no-boil pasta, you may need to add additional liquid to this mixture, as the pasta will absorb it during cooking. (Follow the advice on the package for best results.)

Place a couple of tablespoons of the mixture in a 14-inch Pyrex or enameled cast-iron lasagna pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Line the pan with fresh pasta sheets, with about a ¼ inch overlap. (By contrast, no-boil sheets should be spaced about ½ inch apart, as they will expand.)

Trim so the sheets lie flat without creeping up the edge of the pan. Add enough of the meat and béchamel mixture for a half-inch layer, sprinkle with Parmesan, and top with another layer of pasta. Repeat until the final layer of pasta comes within ½ inch of the pan rim, coat with the reserved béchamel, and dot with butter.

Bake on the uppermost rack of the oven for 10-15 minutes until a light, golden crust forms on top. Allow the lasagna to settle for 5-8 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings